Chicago is commonly known for sports, architecture and deep dish pizza — not for high fashion and avant-garde streetwear. But backers of a fall fashion week hope to change that. Chicago will host a 12-day fashion week Oct.
9-20, featuring fashion shows, award ceremonies, marketplaces, gala celebrations, educational programs and more, organizers announced on Tuesday. Chicago Fashion Week will have more than 50 events at locations across the city, in partnership with local fashion organizations, retailers and neighborhood business associations. Events will feature Chicago designers who make everything from streetwear to formal wear.
Unlike other major fashion weeks, 95% of Chicago Fashion Week events will be open to the public and many will be free. “This October, all of Chicago becomes a runway,” said John Leydon, co-founder of Chicago Fashion Week. Chicago is a shopping destination that’s home to groundbreaking designers and fashion schools, organizers said during a news conference at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago in downtown.
“For too long, Chicago’s fashion talent has fallen off the radar of many,” said Ian Gerard, co-founder of Chicago Fashion Week and fashion events group The Curio. The event will spotlight “the city’s unique talent and provide an outlet for the many passionate fashion devotees that reside here.” “Chicago has long been recognized as a hub of creativity and innovation across various industries, and our fashion scene is no exception,�.
